Unterseeboot 81
Unterseeboot 81 (U-81) has been the designation of two submarines of the German Navy.
During
World War I, U-81 was launched on
24 June 1916 and commissioned into the
Kaiserliche Marine on August 22, 1916.
The second U-81 was a
Type VIIC submarine of the
Kriegsmarine. Her keel was laid down
11 May 1940, by
Bremer Vulkan, of
Bremen-Vegesack. She was commissioned
26 April 1941 with
Oberleutnant zur See Friedrich Guggenberger in command. Guggenberger remained in command, receiving a promotion to
Kapitänleutnant, until December
1942 when he was relieved by Oblt. Johann-Otto Krieg, who commanded her until the end of her career.
U-81 conducted 17 patrols, sinking 23 ships totalling of 63,289 tons and damaging two others totalling 14,143 tons. On
13 November 1941, she sank the British
aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in the Mediterranean.
On
9 January 1944, at 11:30am, U-81 was sunk at Pola by US bombs and two crewmen were killed. She was raised on
22 April 1944, and broken up.
*
List of U-boats*
UB-81
